Group Makes Sure Candidates Address Coal

By GEORGE HOHMANN

When presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visited Charleston, a van decorated with the image of an electric cord plugged into a big lump of coal followed her.

Everywhere the candidates go, the van is sure to follow.

"We have four of those vans," said Cathy Coffey, spokeswoman for the van’s owner, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. "They help get our message out."

The message: "To help people understand that you can’t replace coal, which is used to produce more than 50 percent of the nation’s electricity."

"People still don’t grasp where their electricity comes from," Coffey said. "Certain coal states are pro-coal but some people don’t understand that coal translates into electricity. So marrying the two is important.

"We want to make sure the candidates talk specifics about their energy policy," Coffey said. "In Iowa or Nevada, it was hard for them to acknowledge us. Here in coal country, I think we’ve prompted them to be much more specific about what their energy policy will entail and making sure coal remains in our energy mix."

As Congress considers energy policy and climate change legislation, "we need to make sure people understand the impact on the cost of electricity some of the proposals will have on residents and businesses," she said.

"I think retirees are being hit especially hard right now. We recently did an economic impact study on the price of electricity and all fuels. Energy costs now account for almost $1 of every $4 of after-tax income. The majority of that is for gasoline, but it’s become a major part of the daily budget. Energy has to be a significant part of the discussion."

Coffey noted that West Virginia enjoys the second-lowest electricity rates in the country, primarily because more than 95 percent of the electricity used in the state is generated by coal- fired power plants.

Clinton and her Democratic rival Barack Obama have acknowledged the importance of coal in the nation’s energy mix. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has advocated limiting coal and using alternative fuels "but I think he’s been moderating his views," Coffey said.

When people approach Coffey and others who work for the coalition, they are handed a packet that includes a brochure with photos of Clinton, Obama and McCain. The headline says, "If cleaner air is important to you, if affordable electricity is important to you, if America’s energy security and independence are important to you – then you should be talking to them!

"Why should we even consider replacing coal?" the brochure asks. "We have enough coal to last for years and we have the technology to use it wisely. It is not ‘if’ we use coal, it’s ‘how," and the answer is cleanly."

The coalition’s campaign is designed, in part, to counter a campaign led by the Sierra Club to halt the construction of new coal- fired power plants.

Coffey called the Sierra Club’s campaign "unfortunate," because, "while some say they know coal has to be part of our future, they don’t want anything new until they are guaranteed there will be carbon capture and storage."

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity is comprised of more than 40 U.S. companies from the electricity generation, transportation, coal production, energy technology and equipment manufacturing industries. Members include American Electric Power, Arch Coal Inc., Caterpillar Inc., Consol Energy Inc., CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp.

The coalition is the successor to the Center for Energy and Economic Development and Americans for Balanced Energy Choices. The coalition’s Website is at www.americaspower.org.

Coffey said the first question most people ask when they see one of the coalition’s vans is, "Does it run on coal-to-liquid fuel?"

The answer: "Not yet."

Contact writer George Hohmann at business@dailymail.com or 348- 4836.

Originally published by DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR.

(c) 2008 Charleston Daily Mail. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.